Detego Celestis
by Chrysanthemums5
Summary: Woven together, yet completely apart. Facing a losing battle with the Ori, the SGC knows they need help. The Ancients are unwilling to interfere, but what if the next best thing was right there all along, hidden just out of sight? Daniel/Vala, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione. A mostly canon blending of the two worlds.
1. Chapter 1

**Detego Celestis**

AN: This is a plot bunny that has been nagging at me for a while. **Second Chances** is not abandoned, I'm just having writers block on how to finish it out.  
The two worlds (Stargate and HP) are almost canon: SG-1 through the end of Season 10, but Ark of Truth never happens. Harry Potter through the last book, but anything JK said outside the books is not part of this story. There are parings, but this is primarily a sci-fi/adventure story, not a love story. I do have to bend things here and there in order to merge the worlds, but I hope to keep that to a minimum. This has not been beta'd so all errors are mine.

* * *

**Autumn 2000**

Fall leaves swirled around Hermione's shoulders as she came to a stop. She could have apparated straight into her parents garden, but nostalgia made her appear behind the church at the end of her street. She loved walking down this street in the fall, when all the trees were lit up in brilliant reds and oranges. She quickly glanced around to make sure no one was there to see her and then finished the notice-me-not spell she had added to her apparition.

Taking a deep breath of the clean crisp air, Hermione hummed happily as she made her way down the sidewalk. Fall break from the University had just begun, and she was looking forward to a few days with Mum and Dad. Ron was coming by for dinner, and Hermione smiled happily to herself at the thought. Dad and Ron would get into one of their epic chess matches after dinner while she and Mum would sip coffee and gossip.

As she approached her parents home, she saw a new potted chrysanthemum with dark burgundy flowers at the end of the walk. She knelt down to admire it just as a black sedan pulled up along side the curb. Hermione looked up carefully, sliding her hand into her wand pocket hidden in her cargo pants. The engine shut off and a moment later the drivers door opened. A man stepped out of the vehicle and looked around, pushing up his glasses. Hermione was absolutely certain she had never seen him on her parents street before, but she had been away so much she couldn't be sure. Her fingers caught to top of her wand reflexively as she pulled herself upright. The man had squinted at the house numbers and was now crossing the street towards her.

"Um, excuse me," the man spoke. American. Hermione relaxed her grip on her wand a little. "Can you tell me, is this 22..." he pulled a card out of his pocket, "22 Rathmore Rd?"

Hermione let herself relax a little more. It had been years since she had been in any danger, but habits die hard. The man was obviously harmless. He smiled at her hopefully while she took in his worn bomber jacket and jeans. Clearly an American muggle here for a visit. Visiting her parents?

"Yes, that's right," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Hermione Granger"

"That's great." He shook her hand, then shifted slightly. "I'm Daniel Jackson, I worked with Sarah Gardner. Is her sister home?"

"Mum? I suppose so," Hermione nodded. "I just got back myself, haven't even been inside yet. Hang on, and I'll go see." Hermione turned towards the house set back from the street. "You work with my Aunt Sarah? Are you an archeologist too?"

Daniel hesitated a second. "Yes, I was. I mean, I am. Sort of," he trailed off awkwardly. Hermione glanced back at him and saw a faint colour rising on his cheeks. She walked along the side of the house to the kitchen door facing the back garden. "I don't mean to be rude, but perhaps you could just wait here a moment? I'll just be minute." Daniel nodded.

Hermione let herself in the kitchen door, and hurried inside. "Mum! Dad! I'm home!" she called.

"Hermione!" Evangeline Granger exclaimed from the pantry. "You're here already?"

"I apparated, Mum, you know that," Hermione hugged her mother.

"Of course, that's right. You look wonderful. How are your classes going?" Evangeline carried a package into the kitchen.

"They're fine, but Mum there is a man outside. He drove up just as I got here and he says he works with Aunt Sarah. Is she okay?"

"She called me two weeks ago, she sounded really excited about her new project. Is he just standing out there? Hermione, you should have invited him in," she chided gently as she peered through the kitchen window glass.

Evangeline Granger quickly opened the kitchen door. Daniel turned and smiled at her and the two quickly exchanged pleasantries.

"Hermione, could put some water on?" she asked, as she led Daniel to the sitting room.

"Of course mum," Hermione agreed. Her mum and Daniel Jackson walked into the hallway, and once she was sure he was out of sight, she withdrew her wand. Pointing it at the kettle she quietly spoke, "_Aquamenti_" to refill it and with another swish had the fire set just right. She summoned the teapot and tea, quickly arranging things so she could rejoin her mother.

As she walked down the hallway she could here Mr Jacksons voice. "That's true, Sarah was working in Chicago. But something has happened that I needed to talk to you about."

Hermione sat down beside her mother, who had grown very still. Aunt Sarah was her mothers only family. Her grandparents had each passed on a few years ago, both of them to cancer. Sarah was five and a half years younger than her sister, and Hermione knew her mum always felt rather protective of her baby sister. They had been so pleased for her when she had gained a position doing research in America. They missed her of course, but it was such an opportunity for her, and with the war going on back then, Hermione had been relieved Aunt Sarah was out of the country. She might have tweaked the circumstances a bit in Sarah's favour just to be sure she had been accepted into the program, but she didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about it. Aunt Sarah was brilliant; she deserved to follow her dream, and Hermione knew she would be safer. That was years ago, and Aunt Sarah was now a PhD in Egyptology. She called her mum often, so it was more than a little strange for this colleague of her's to be coming to their house. Hermione picked up on her mum's anxiety and took her hand.

Daniel Jackson cleared his throat nervously. "Sarah is a friend of mine, so I felt I ought to let you know, personally. About a week ago there was a situation at the University in Chicago. We're still trying to work out the details, but the truth is... Sarah is missing, and according to the police, presumed dead."

Evangeline Granger stared at the American. "Missing? Maybe dead? How, why!? She's an academic for heaven's sake!"

"Yes, that is true," Daniel agreed. "The department had received a shipment of artifacts that had been lost at sea decades ago. Sarah was part of the team cataloging and studying them. The Egyptian government was demanding they be returned, contesting the legitimacy with which they had been removed, and they are probably right." Daniel scratched the back of his neck nervously. "The thing is, there was an explosion. Her supervisor was killed, and now Sarah is gone. We didn't find any evidence that she had been killed, but we just don't know much at all at this point." He swallowed carefully and tried to meet the two women's eyes before him.

Hermione's intuition flickered. Something was not right, and she could sense Mr Jackson was hiding something. She wasn't very accomplished at legilimency, having shied away from such intrusive spells, but she gave it a brief try now. Daniel looked at her mother and at her in turn, and Hermione used that moment of eye contact. A slurry of images assaulted her. Daniel Jackson's mind was unusually honest, with very few layers of deception. He was telling the truth, or a version of it. An image appeared of Aunt Sarah, a red glowing jewel in her hand. She must have been shining it at Daniel. Hermione blinked in confusion and the connection was lost.

Daniel Jackson licked his lips nervously. '_What was that?_' he wondered. For a moment there, as he was explaining what he could about Sarah's disappearance he had felt something like a Goau'ld brain scanning device. It was much softer than any Goau'ld's touch, in fact it was so brief he might have brushed it off as the effects of caffeine withdrawal if he hadn't felt something like it before. But the younger woman before him was quietly holding her mother's hand, and whispering soothingly to her. It was impossible that she was a Goau'ld. He sighed internally. He was becoming paranoid; seeing Goau'ld in everything, even in places they couldn't possibly be.

"We'll keep you apprised of the situation, of course," Daniel assured them.

Evangeline nodded stiffly. "Thank you. And thank you for coming. You must be a good friend to Sarah."

Daniel smiled sadly. Hermione gave her mum a squeeze.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked.

Her mother nodded, then remembered her guest. "You'll have some tea, won't you Mr Jackson?"

Daniel agreed. "You can call me Daniel."

"Daniel then," Evangeline agreed. "Will you tell me more about these artifacts? What caused the explosion?"

Hermione gave her mother another quick hug when she heard the kettle whistling. She moved to head to the kitchen when she heard Mr Jackson say, "there was a rumour the artifacts were cursed. They say that is why the ship sank to begin with." Hermione halted and looked back at her mother, whose eyes flashed to hers. The idea of a cursed cargo might seem silly to the archeologist, but the Grangers knew better. A feeling of acid slid down her throat. Her mother gave a quick imploring look before turning back to her guest. Hermione took the hint.

After finishing his tea, Daniel Jackson excused himself to use the facilities. Mrs Granger directed him back down the hall towards the kitchen, while her daughter carried the tray back to the kitchen. A few moments later, Daniel was leaving the restroom when a silvery light in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Curiosity got the better of him and he followed the silvery light back to it's source in the kitchen.

Hermione Granger was standing in the kitchen holding what was undeniably a wand, and from it's tip a pulsating silvery otter was dancing. The young woman was speaking; To the otter?

"...he says the cargo may have been cursed and now Aunt Sarah is missing. The muggles think she may be dead, but there is something else. I saw inside his memories. There was an image of Sarah with a red thing in her hand, like a glowing jewel. I wasn't in there long enough to understand it, but he knows something else. Would you ask Bill to check with the Goblins, see if they have any information? Please, Ron. It's really important to me."

With a swish of her hand the otter was released from the tip of her wand and flew through the east wall. Daniel stood there dumbfounded, too surprised to move or hide.

Hermione turned and saw the archeologist watching her, his mouth agape. Behind him, her mother was waving at her frantically. She raised her chin, and said to him, "I'm really very sorry about this, honestly I am. You've been very kind."

Daniel's eyes widened when she turned her wand towards him. "Hey now, it's okay. I'm..."

A white light filled his mind and then Daniel found himself seated in the rental car. The Granger women were standing on their front step waving at him politely, and feeling a little disoriented, he waved back. Had he walked to the car? Of course he had. Daniel shook his head to clear it. The tea had been nice, but he really needed something a little stronger. Checking his mirrors, he pulled out into the street, and headed for a place to buy some coffee.


	2. Chapter 2

**Detego Celestis - Chapter 2**

_AN: I apologise, the system keeps changing the formatting; deleting the scene breaks. In order to maintain the flow I had to resort to using the full line breaks which is not ideal. I've never had this issue before, and will correct the chapter if the system will ever save a correct copy. Thanks for reading._

* * *

**Winter, 2004**

Sarah Gardner wiped her eyes. Taking a deep breath she made her resolution. "I want to go home."

"Now?' Daniel asked, startled at her sudden decision. "Okay, I'll go get my car."

"No, I don't mean go home to my apartment. I mean _home_, my home. I want to go back to England." Sarah's cheeks were pale and her eyes bright. "I'm tired."

Daniel nodded solemnly. "I understand. You've been very strong. You've survived the worst kind of hell. I think that qualifies you for a break."

"I don't want a break, Daniel," Sarah emphasized. "I want to move back permanently. Could you... would you help me? You've already done so much, I hate to ask for anything else, but-" she broke off, biting her lip to hold back a fresh batch of tears.

Daniel reached across the table and took Sarah's hand. It was soft and delicate, much like the woman inside.

"I mean, I am doing much better." Sarah pushed. "But I'm homesick. You can't have any idea what it is like, trying to blend in with Americans all the time, and now with this, with what's happened..." Sarah trailed off. "I need to be where I can relax."

"Where you understand the rules," Daniel finished for her.

"Yes, exactly."

Daniel did understand, more than Sarah knew.

"Then you should go home." Daniel gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

* * *

Daniel hefted the box up and headed out through the doorway. Sarah had finished packing and today was moving day. Teal'c and Daniel had come over to help, even though the movers were doing most of the loading. He passed the box of books he'd carried out to one the movers loading the truck and turned back in time to see Samantha Carter and Jack drive up.

"Thought you kids could use something to eat," Jack announced. He lifted a case of beer out of the back seat while Carter balanced a pair of steaming pizza boxes.

"Thanks guys," Daniel gave Sam a side hug, easily taking the boxes from her. "I'm sure Sarah will appreciate the support."

"We know how hard this has been for her," Sam added.

The group made their way inside, only to find the room bare of any useful furniture. Daniel put the pizza on the kitchen counter while Jack stowed the beer in the fridge. Sarah looked ready to cry again.

"You have all been so good to me!"

"Least we could do," Jack gave her a quick hug while the rest helped themselves to a slice of pizza. "It's kind of 'American' but seeings as it's your last night and all, thought we leave you with something to remember us by."

The movers were finished, and Sarah had only to sign off on the paperwork. They estimated six weeks for delivery to the UK, give or take. Everyone sat on the floor, eating pizza and chatting while Sarah took a final survey of the apartment before coming to join them.

"Can I ask, do you have family in England?" Sam inquired.

Sarah brightened. "Yes, my sister and her family. She and her husband are both dentists, and they have one daughter, Hermione. She's in University now."

"You must miss them," Sam sympathized.

"Very much," Sarah agreed. "I can't wait to see them again."

* * *

Teal'c and Jack had polished off the pizza, playing rock-paper-scissors for the final piece. Daniel and Sam bagged up the trash, and Sarah found herself in the empty dining room. Dust bunnies lay exposed in the corners, and she realized she still needed to clean the apartment before she could get her deposit back. As much as she enjoyed having SG-1 come by, in truth she was just tired and wanted to be alone, or mostly alone. Frowning at the offending dust, she wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold.

"I don't want you to worry about the cleaning," Daniel spoke quietly from behind her, reading her thoughts. "It's all been taken care of."

Sarah turned and looked into Daniels face, the lengthening shadows stretching across the wood floor making her fatigue sharply evident. The space was as empty as she felt inside. The thought brought her a strange comfort, and she smiled tiredly at Daniel.

"I just remembered the cleaning. Thank you." Another thought occurred to her then and her eyes grew round. "But I forgot about where I'm going to sleep tonight! My flight is not until the morning."

"That is why you're coming to my place tonight," Daniel informed her easily.

Sarah hesitated. Since her freedom from the Goa'uld, Daniel had been caring, attentive and ever sincere. Was it possible he still had feelings for her? "Are you sure? I could go to a hotel."

"Absolutely. I've got new sheets for the couch and everything," he grinned.

The couch, of course. Sarah pushed down her disappointment. Naturally he didn't look at her that way anymore. The two carried her luggage out to Daniel's car and Sarah locked the door. It was oddly freeing, knowing this part of her life was over. She straightened her shoulders and joined Daniel for the drive to his apartment. A short time later she was snuggled into the new soft sheets on his couch, and felt herself drifting off, grateful for the peace and quiet of Daniel's friendship. He had done more than he really should have for her, she thought sleepily as she fell asleep.

* * *

Daniel glanced up from the book he was reading in his study, peaking at Sarah in the living room. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as she had lain down. Daniel had wanted to make sure she was comfortable before going to bed himself. He turned off the light beside him and tip toed past her, pausing to adjust her blanket. Her hair lay across her pillow in curls, and Daniel had a sudden memory of her above him, her gaze piercing, assessing. She was Goa'uld in his memory, and he stumbled back away from her quickly. The wall behind him caught his backwards movement, and he slid down it, memories washing over him.

He and Sarah at the Institute in Chicago. Sarah biting into a larval Goa'uld. The onyx black tablet, smooth yet uneven under his fingertips. A woman pouring him tea. Apologizing to Sarah for working too late and missing their date. The ribbon device glowing hot red. The dance of a silver otter. Being flung against the sand stone wall, hard. A dozen more images flooded his senses, pulsating against his mind until Daniel finally succumbed, slipping into oblivion right there on the floor.

* * *

Hours later, Daniel woke up, his neck in a terrible crick and his body shivering with cold. With effort he pulled himself up to a sitting position, leaning against the wall. He couldn't remember falling asleep in the hall. Had he tripped or something? He checked the time on his wrist watch and saw it was only 2:30 in the morning. Slowly he rose to standing and steadied himself against the wall. His brain hurt, like he'd been bashed up the side of his head with a baseball bat. He reached up and felt his head gingerly, expecting to find some evidence of injury, but found nothing. He need sleep in his own bed he decided. Sarah was still asleep on the couch, her back turned to the room with the blanket around her shoulder. Feeling assured that she was alright, he double checked the alarm was set and crawled into bed, sliding into a dreamless sleep in seconds.

* * *

Daniel wandered down to the SGC cafeteria hoping to snag something quick to eat that he could take back to his office. Looking at the between-meal options, Daniel had just selected a cheese danish when he saw the film crew coming through the door. Daniel groaned. The reporter had been snooping around the base for days at the President's request and SG-1 had been doing their best to both placate the reporter and avoid the camera. Daniel quickly turned away and moved nonchalantly towards the back exit, managing to slid out the door without being cornered.

Dr Frasier looked up in surprise. Daniel Jackson coming to the Infirmary on his own was a surprise. She ran through her schedule of patients for the next few days as well as she could remember off the top of her head, and was fairly certain Daniel Jackson was not one of them.

"Do you have a minute?" Daniel asked.

"A few," Frasier agreed. She'd make a few for one of her favorite patients.

"Well, it's just that... what I mean is, something happened to me a few night ago I thought I should mention." Daniel verbally stumbled.

Doctor Frasier focused on the man before her. "What happened?"

Daniel glanced around the infirmary, checking to see if their conversation was private before speaking. "That night before Sarah Gardner left for England, I may have sort of - passed out."

"Passed out? You mean you fainted?"

"Yeah," Daniel spoke slowly. "You know, it was probably nothing, never mind."

"Uh uh, stop right there." Doctor Frasier pulled out her pen light. "Look at me," she directed flashing the light into his eyes. Constriction/dilation was normal, she noted. "Did you have anything strange to eat, to drink?"

Daniel sighed in embarrassment. "No, Jack had bought pizza and beer, but I only had the pizza. I drove Sarah back to my apartment, made her a bed on the couch and was just reading for a while before I went to bed. The last thing I remember before waking up on the cold floor was turning out the lamp."

"What happened when you came to?" Janet asked, taking his pulse.

"I felt dizzy, disoriented, you know, the usual. My head felt like a bomb had gone off beside me. I even checked for bruises," Daniel admitted.

"Smile for me, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel grinned back at her, feeling foolish.

"Now stick out your tongue."

Daniel complied, feeling even more ridiculous.

Doctor Frasier nodded to herself. "Good. Now stand up and balance on one leg."

Daniel stood and balanced himself, raising en eyebrow at Doctor Frasier. "Okay, monkey can dance."

Doctor Frasier smiled, "I was checking for neurological damage, Doctor Jackson. You can put your foot down. I don't think you had a stroke, but I'd like to run a scan just to be sure."

An hour later, Doctor Frasier admitted there was nothing unusual in Daniel's brain scan. She ran a blood screen as well and promised to let him know as soon as the results were back. She encouraged him to report back if it happened again, but could see no reason to take him off duty in the mean time. A commotion started at the far end of the main room, and Daniel saw that the film crew had shown up. Eyes pleading at Doctor Frasier, Daniel begged her to hide him. She shooed him out through her connecting office promising to cover his escape, and he left the infirmary feeling both relieved and bothered. There may not being anything wrong, but he knew something strange had happened.

* * *

A week later, Daniel sat at the conference table, staring at the wall. Janet Frasier was dead. The SGC was changed, everyone feeling the loss and the fragility of the place. General Hammond was talking about something, but Daniel had no honest idea what. Sam's voice answered. Papers rustled, and a coffee mug was set down. Jack spoke, Daniel could hear his voice but not the words. A hand slammed against the table, startling Daniel out of his dazed fog. Sam was biting her lip, fighting tears. Detached, Daniel moved towards her at the same time as Jack. The team gathered around Sam as she cried. General Hammond's voice finally broke through, and Daniel looked at their director.

"Effectively immediately, SG-1 is on leave," he announced. Picking up his pen he made a note on the pad in front of him. "Take some time off," he said more gently.

Jack thanked him, and pulling an arm around Sam's shoulder, he steered her out of the conference room. Feeling bereft, Daniel tapped his hand on the back of the seat he had risen from to hug Sam.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c spoke. Daniel looked at his friend and saw Teal'c was on his way out of the room as well.

"Right, I'm coming."

"I want you to go home, go fishing, do anything," Hammond expanded to the remaining SG-1 members in the room. Pointing his pen at Daniel he continued, "You all could use a break."

Daniel's attention was suddenly razor sharp. Hammond's pen waved in the air, the silver tip catching the dim pot lights in the ceiling. It was one of those expensive, hand made pens, the kind made of exotic woods and set with a chrome tip. The light flashed against it, dimming as the General's hand fell, and Daniel saw another silver flash coming from a wooden pen. No, not a pen, a wand. Stunned by what he remembered, he stumbled to the side, but was caught by Teal'c's quick reflexes.

"Are you unwell, Daniel Jackson?" he asked. General Hammond was now looking at him strangely, and Daniel shook his head.

"I'm fine, I just- I just remembered something."

George Hammond shook his head at the archeologist. "You need a rest, Doctor Jackson."

"Yes sir," Daniel agreed. Coming to a conviction, Daniel patted Teal'c in thanks and took off running. He had a phone call to make, and maybe a plane to catch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Detego Celestis - Chapter 3**

* * *

The icy sidewalk crunched beneath his feet as he walked up to the house. He had been here three years before when he came to inform the Grangers of Sarah's disappearance. It had been mid October then, now it was late February and a sheen of ice covered all the tree branches. He made his way gingerly up the walk, and knocked at the front door.

A moment later, Sarah's face glanced out through the side window, and grinned at Daniel. She opened the door, and pulled him inside with a hug.

"Daniel! You made it safety, then? Were the roads horrible?"

"Not too bad, the main ones have all been cleared." Daniel looked at Sarah carefully. She looked well, much better than she had a few weeks ago when she had left the US. Her eyes danced, her cheeks were lightly pink and she seemed more relaxed than she had. Daniel shrugged out of his coat and let her take it from him.

"How've you been, Sarah? You look great."

"I am good. It's been so nice to be home." Sarah tugged at her sweater sleeves self consciously.

"I can tell," Daniel smiled. "I wanted to check in, see how things are going. Some things have happened, and we're on leave. Gave me a chance to catch up."

"Is everything alright?"

"They will be, eventually." Daniel swallowed. "Doctor Frasier, Janet, was killed. We're all pretty shook up."

Sarah went pale. "Was it...?"

"Sort of. But that's why I had some time off," Daniel closed the subject.

Daniel and Sarah spent the afternoon catching up, Sarah telling him about her new position at Cambridge. Both were careful to mention nothing about the SGC or any compromising subjects. Around tea, Sarah's sister Evangeline came home and she greeted Daniel warmly. Soon tea was being served all around. Mrs Granger's husband, Peter arrived not long after and the four had a nice hour eating and talking. Daniel knew he was going to have to be going soon, and felt disappointed. The one person he had really hoped to see had not come to her parent's house. He realized she must be on her own now, but he'd still hoped she might drop by. He was trying to think of how to ask about her without sounding like a creep, when a clatter sounded from the back of the house.

Laughter rang out and the group fell silent listening. Daniel could hear two people, a woman and man coming from the kitchen. He sat up straighter, hopeful. A moment later and Hermione Granger came into the room, holding hands with a tall red haired man, both of them flush with laughter.

"Mum, Dad, look who I found!" Hermione grinned, coming up short when she saw Daniel. Daniel raised a hand in greeting, and Hermione quickly regathered her composure.

"Amazing, you would think he was stalking you," Sarah teased her niece.

"Doctor Jackson," Hermione greeted him, completely covering her surprise. "This Ron Weasley," she said, introducing the two men. Ron shook Daniel's hand, and sat down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you had someone over," Hermione apologised. "I just wanted to tell you my news in person."

"It's fine, I was just getting ready to leave," Daniel said as he stood.

"No, no. You should stay," Evangeline insisted, eyeing her sister.

"Oh, I don't want to impose..."

"You're not imposing. You've come all this way, and we'd be honored to have you."

Daniel pretended to hesitate, but in truth this was exactly the 'in' he needed. He felt a little guilty, knowing Sarah's family must think he was there in some romantic fashion for her. But this was important, and he didn't know what Sarah knew, if anything, about her niece. He couldn't risk asking her and getting his memory wiped again. More than anything he was convinced that this was exactly what the young woman had done to him. He had no idea how, but something Osiris had done when probing his memories had undone it.

Arrangements were made for Daniel to stay in the guest room, and he learned that Sarah was staying in Hermione's old room until her things arrived. As he guessed, Hermione was living on her own now, somewhere in London.

As the family sat down to dinner, Peter Granger reminded Hermione she had come with news. "Of course, the hot meal doesn't hurt, I'm sure," he said knowingly.

Hermione flashed her father a quick smile, but her eyes went to Ron, who sat beside her. Daniel didn't miss the slight shrug of the tall redhead's shoulders. Hermione reached for the dish of potatoes, and said, "I've been hired by the Ministry."

Sarah's eyes grew round. "The government? I had no idea you were applying there! In what capacity?"

"It's a sort of new department," Hermione said without looking up. She sprinkled some salt over her potatoes before continuing. "A new legal unit for addressing...social justice issues."

Daniel saw Sarah frown lightly, and asked, "Like discrimination, that sort of thing?"

Hermione look relieved at his question, "Yes exactly that."

"It sounds very rewarding, honey. I'm proud of you," Mrs Granger said. Dinner was soon over and everyone moved to help clean up. Daniel carried a stack of plates into the kitchen following Sarah who held some glasses. He set them down on the counter beside the sink when he heard a rhythmic tapping. Right outside the window was an owl, tapping on the glass. Daniel could not contain his astonishment at the sight.

Sarah laughed at his face, reaching past him to open the window. The brown owl hopped inside and Sarah calmly laid what looked like cat food on the window sill for it.

"What in the world?" Daniel spluttered.

"It's a tame owl, Daniel. My niece is very smart, and she taught this one to come to the window for snacks." Daniel could only stare in wonder as the purportedly wild bird pecked it's snack, completely ignoring the two humans watching it. Ron and Hermione came into the kitchen carrying platters and saw Sarah and Daniel admiring the owl. They exchanged a wide-eyed look before Sarah noticed them.

"Hermione, look, your bird came back! It's so amazing, isn't it Daniel?"

"Astounding," he agreed. He stepped back as Hermione reached toward the bird. She gently stroked it's smooth feathers with one hand while her other touched it's leg. He thought he saw a brief flash of white, but it was gone before he could be sure. The owl bobbed it's head at Hermione, then flew away in a sudden flap of wings and feathers. A growing suspicion was building in him. It was February, and no one seemed to notice the lack of cold air flooding the kitchen from the open window. His eyes assessed what he saw and what he knew he had experienced at this woman's hand. There was a lot more going on here, and his gut told him that Sarah Gardner had no idea. The idea of a tame owl didn't seem to strike her as impossibly odd as it did Daniel, and he guessed that she must have accepted whatever story they had told her.

Daniel didn't want to have this conversation here and now, but his face must have given everything away because Hermione saw the recognition there. Silently they stared at each other until Ron coughed uncomfortably. Sarah missed the entire exchange, scrapping the plates into the compost.

"Aunt Sarah, I can do that. Ron, could you and Aunt Sarah see if there is anything good on the telly tonight? I'd love to just snuggle in a bit before heading home."

Ron took what in Daniel's opinion was a rather weak hint. "Miss Gardner, what are you in the mood to watch? Football?" he asked hopefully.

"No football!" Hermione called to the retreating pair. Ron smirked back at her and Hermione gave him a grateful smile before turning back to Daniel.

"Tame owl, huh?" he asked. "It just happened to start trusting you one day, did it?"

"More or less," she agreed warily.

"They are wild creatures, Hermione. Taming one would be about as likely as taming a fox, not that that has never been done. But still..."

Hermione raised her chin, her intelligent eyes flashing. "You're right, of course. Very improbable."

"So why don't you tell me what's really going on?" Daniel asked directly. "Starting with what you did to me the last time I was here."

"That's impossible," she gasped. "You could not have broken through that spell on your own!"

"Spell?" Daniel spoke in a low voice of disbelief. "As in magic, witchcraft, that sort of thing?"

"In for a penny, in for a pound as they say." Hermione sat down on a kitchen stool, and drew out of a narrow pocket along her thigh the very wand he remembered. She laid it on the table between them. "I am a witch. Not the kind you've ever heard of, evil and scary, riding around on a broomstick and cursing the neighbour's vegetable patches. I've met that sort, and I can assure you I am nothing like that."

"You wiped my memory," Daniel reminded her. "When it came back, I remembered seeing you talking to a floating silver otter, and then you pointed that wand at me."

"I did that, yes. But you must understand, non-magical people are never to know about us unless absolutely necessary, such as parents or spouses. I had to wipe your memory, it was for both our protection."

"But if you erased it, how can I remember it now?"

"It's not really erased," Hermione tried to explain. "It's more like a redirect. When your thoughts try to go right, the spell makes them go left. Eventually the mind no longer tries to access those memories, and they fade away like a vague recollection from childhood."

Daniel nodded, catching on. "Why bother thinking about something you can't remember?"

"Right. And only a really powerful wizard or one trained in breaking complex spells would be able to remove it. Even then, there would have to be a reason to think a memory was being hidden." Silence stretched between them. Hermione picked up her wand idly, and Daniel tensed.

"You wouldn't do it again?" he hedged.

Hermione swallowed. "Actually, I would. To protect my family, yes I would."

"I am not a threat to your family, believe me." Daniel said carefully.

Hermione considered the man before her. Instinct was not her thing; Ron was always better at that. But she had learned a few things from Ron and Harry. She stared into his eyes, noticing they were blue, like Ron's and completely honest.

Daniel broke eye contact first. "Now cut that out," he demanded. "You did that before too! Believe it or not, I've got my own secrets to protect. You can't just go around meddling with peoples' heads like that!"

Hermione pulled back, slightly ashamed. "Like what really happened to Aunt Sarah? All she will say is that she was kidnapped by South American guerilla's and held in some jungle compound for the last three years."

Inventive, Daniel thought. "But you don't believe her?"

"No. Her mind is like a wall now, but she's never studied occlumency. She's different."

Daniel filed the unknown word away, recognizing some of the Latin roots in it. "She was kidnapped."

"By whom?" Hermione asked, her emotions breaking through. "And don't tell me guerilla's. That's complete nonsense."

"I'm not really authorized to tell you that," Daniel said carefully.

"Nor am I to reveal magic to you. So you can either tell me exactly what happened to my Aunt Sarah or I can obliviate you again." Hermione held her wand firmly now, daring him.

"I believe you. So why don't you just put that down."

Hermione paused for a second before sliding the wand back into her thigh pocket. Daniel saw it slide in, then saw the entire pocket vanish. Not a wrinkle appeared to mark it's position.

"Magic?"

Hermione's mouth gave a small grin. "My own spell," she admitted.

"It's very good."

"Thanks."

"Look," Daniel started. "This will take some time to explain, and I honestly don't want to put Sarah through it all again. They're waiting for us, remember?"

Hermione nodded, "You're right. After Aunt Sarah goes to work tomorrow, I'll come get you. Let me just start these dishes. Then tomorrow, you and I are going to talk."

"I can help," Daniel offered, opening the dishwasher.

"No need." Withdrawing her wand again, this time not hiding her actions, she pointed it at the pile of dishes, waving it over the sink and the dishwasher. Daniel's mouth fell open when the water turned on and each piece of china floated under the water, then into the machine. She pointed the wand to the cupboard, and a packet of detergent flew out and into the soap tray. Hermione turned away from the amazing sight with a light shrug. "It will start on it's own now, we can go."

Utterly bemused, Daniel followed her out of the kitchen to the TV room where they found Sarah and Ron watching a documentary on African bees; Sarah entranced, Ron hiding a yawn. At their entrance, Ron perked up.

"It's a great show, Hermione," he said, feigning interest. "Very informative. But I've got an early meeting with Aur- with the director tomorrow."

"Of course. Let's say goodnight to my Mum and Dad." Coming around the sofa, she gave Sarah a hug. "Loved seeing you again tonight, Aunt Sarah.'

"You too honey. Take care." Sarah shook hands with Ron, telling them to drive safe. Ron got an oddly contemplating look on his face at this, but nodded. Daniel shook Ron's hand as well, suspecting there was more to the man than he or Hermione was letting on. He hadn't missed the quick change in his words either. As much as Hermione wanted answers, Daniel Jackson wanted them too.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN**: This chapter has given me a lot of trouble; voices not sounding right, characters not acting normal. I apologise for the delay, but I hope everything flows better now. Thanks to **FullMoonOcean** for beta help, and **astari22** for great discussion and thoughtful questions.

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**Detego Celestis** - Chapter 4

Daniel closed his laptop and reached for his cup of coffee. It was empty. Probably just as well, he was getting a little jittery anyway. Jet-lag had kept him up far too late, and morning came too soon. He'd already checked in with O'Neill, and answered the most pressing emails. He groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face.

The Grangers had left an hour ago for their morning patients, and Sarah had wished him a good day before leaving a quarter hour before. They'd made plans to go out for dinner; Sarah promising to show him the new medieval exhibit they were working on afterwards.

Now he was killing time, waiting for Hermione to come. He wandered back to the Grangers kitchen and rinsed out his mug. Maybe one more cup would help, he thought.

He set about boiling water for the press pot when there was a familiar tapping at the kitchen window. Huh. The owl was back. Daniel hesitated, wondering if he ought to open the window as Sarah had, or let it figure out no one was there. Then he remembered. Hermione hadn't actually explained the owl, but he could guess there was magic involved in it's behaviour somehow. The owl was looking at him directly, unblinkingly. It was a little unnerving. The owl tilted it's head a fraction and as Daniel stared it quite deliberately lifted a talon and scratched at the window pane, it's eyes never leaving Daniel's. That settled it. The bird was not going to leave.

Daniel carefully lifted the latch and pushed the window out as the bird danced aside before hopping onto the shelf under the window. It glared at Daniel, and he had the most peculiar feeling the owl was put out with him for not opening the window sooner.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't sure..." Daniel trailed off when the bird stuck it's opposite leg out towards him. A small yellowish scroll was tied there, and clearly the owl was expecting him to remove it. Gingerly he pulled the strings, catching the scroll. He started to read the calligraphy on the outside when a sharp pain stung his fingers. The bird had bit him!

"What the-!" he hissed, sticking his knuckle into his mouth. The owl almost seemed to shrug at him, fluffing it's feathers and opening it's beak lightly.

The snacks! Sarah had given the owl a snack last night. Keeping an eye on the bird out the corner of his eye he looked around for the snacks. He found a small burlap bag sitting open in a piece of blue crockery, the bits of cat food visible inside. Daniel pinched a few pieces out and laid them onto the shelf near the bird, taking care to avoid being within biting range. The owl fluffed happily then, and quickly scooped up three pieces, gave Daniel a baleful gaze, and flew out the window.

Sucking his bloody knuckles, Daniel considered the scroll the owl had delivered. That sounded weird in his own head, an owl delivering a letter. I thought that's what pigeons did. It was made of some sort of parchment, tightly rolled into a tube. Along the length of the tube was bold calligraphy. Accustomed to reading old tomes and ancient artifacts, Daniel had zero problem realizing the scroll was plainly addressed, not to Hermione or her parents, but to himself. Who would be writing to me, by way of an owl?

Daniel remembered to re-shut the window, his plans for coffee forgotten as he unrolled the letter. The writing was strong with long strokes and sharp points as if the author had dipped a claw into ink and scratched it across the page.

_Doctor Jackson,_

_We have been made aware of your visit to the non-magical Granger family. We are also aware that you have been privileged with the knowledge of our world. Rest assured, we at Gringotts are not in any way associated with the Wizarding Ministry of Magic, and as such are not concerned with the breach. It has come to our attention that you are in possession of certain facts concerning the loss of a particularly important artifact from one of our archeological sites. We look forward to discussing the matter with you further. A representative will escort you to our offices this afternoon._

_Nagnok Grolf, III_

_Gringotts Bank, London Branch_

Daniel sat down heavily. What in the world was this? A bank in London, that apparently knew about magic, was coming for him. Why did he was suddenly feel like he was in the cross-sights of the mob? And the 'Ministry of Magic'? So many questions gathered in his mind as he turned that expression over. Daniel could think of a couple of possibilities for the artifact they were interested in, yet he couldn't answer any of their questions without breaking his non-disclosure agreement. Nor could he ask for an exception without disclosing the existence of magic, which he now felt somewhat honour bound to keep secret.

Daniel groaned. What a mess. A faint tinkle indicated the back door was opening, and a moment later Hermione stood before him. She looked askance at his bloodied knuckles, and without a word, he handed her the letter.

Taken slightly aback, she unrolled the parchment, quickly scanning the contents. "Oh my ... Oh no ... Hmm ... Oh!" Hermione turned wide eyes to Daniel after finishing.

"What. The. Hell."

"Yes, Quite."

"Who are these people? You wanna know about what happened to Sarah, I want to know what is going on here. After that damn bird bit me, I think I'm owed an explanation, and before the mob comes to call."

Hermione laughed faintly, "They're not the mob, Mr Jackson. They are ... goblins."

Daniel choked. First magic exists, and now goblins? "Whats next, unicorns and fairies?"

"Not today, I don't expect."

"Oh god."

"Maybe I should start at the beginning." Hermione's keen eyes took in the abandoned press pot and Daniel Jackson tired face. "Would you like some coffee? We have a lovely shop not far from here."

"Uhm, sure. But what about ... you know, privacy?"

"Muffliato spell, misdirection spells. We got very good at them during the war." Hermione handed Daniel his North Face jacket.

"Right," Daniel agreed. Last night this had seemed oddly normal. But a letter from goblins in the bright morning light and a stinging owl bite had a way of hitting one over the head with reality, and Daniel was not feeling so confident.

Outside, Hermione withdrew her wand and pointed it at the door. Daniel heard the latch click as they walked, not towards the street as he expected but towards the back yard.

"Now, I want you to just trust me. Can you do that?" Hermione held out her arm.

Daniel got a sinking feeling in his gut, but he took her proffered arm with a nod. No idea what to expect, he scrunched his eyes closed. A second later he felt the air being forced out of his lungs and his brain felt like every nerve ending was a static charge, then it was over and he took a deep gulping breath, falling away from Hermione.

"That was worse than a misaligned stargate address! They hurt like hell!" he crowed before he could stop himself.

"It is a very strange sensation, I agree. But you get used to it," Hermione pointed down the sidewalk. "It's just down here."

Daniel looked around and found that they had travelled to another street, where people were moving from cars to shops and back again. No one even glanced at them as Hermione smoothed down her wool coat patiently as she waited for Daniel to recover.

"Didn't anyone see us just pop out of thin air?"

"Most of them, no. A 'notice-me-not' charm makes us almost invisible during apparition. Those who can see through such charms, unless they are already aware of magic, convince themselves there was a perfectly rational explanation for our sudden appearance. The mind can convince itself of almost anything."

Daniel knew that was certainly true. He followed Hermione into the warm coffee shop, a small brass bell gangling hollowly as they opened the glass door. She selected a fairly quiet booth toward one end, and he pulled off his jacket as he sat down. "You mean, some people can see magic but don't know it?"

"Yes. I've researched it quite a bit. Being born a witch into a fully non-magical family made me curious about the way magic is transmitted from one generation to the next, since clearly my parents are not wizards. If you are a wizard, the chance of having a non-magical or marginally magical child is very low, something along the lines of less than one in ten. Wizards beget wizards. But just as occasionally a non-magic child is born to wizards, so too is a magical child born to non-magical parents." Hermione stopped as a server approached their table.

They ordered a pot of coffee and a selection of pastries, and waited until the server returned with their mugs before continuing.

"It sounds genetic," Daniel remarked, sipping his coffee.

"I think it is," Hermione agreed, smiling. "After I finished my wizarding education - I'll get to that," she held a hand up to stop Daniel's almost interruption, "I went to University to please my parents. Ron and Harry thought I was completely 'barmy' but I loved it. The basic genetics we covered in general bio explained a lot."

"I think it's great that you went to University," Daniel smiled encouragingly. "So who's Harry?"

"Oh, he's Ron's and my best friend. He and Ron both went into Auror training, sort of like a detective crossed with special forces."

Daniel nodded. "So, magic is passed as a dominant allele?"

"I think so," Hermione tapped her fingernail against her mug.

"But if it's been with us, as humans I mean since, well always, why don't we know more about it?"

"That is a fair question, but you have to remember, even a non-magical person such as yourself must know how anyone suspected to witchcraft or sorcery was treated in the past. When muggles got to the point of understanding science well enough to study our genetics, wizards had completely removed themselves from the non-magical world."

"Muggles?"

"Slang for non-magical person."

"Sounds like an insult."

"Maybe it was originally. Now, not so much. They have much worse insults." Hermione looked out the window at the passing traffic, her face a tight mask.

Daniel opened his mouth but closed it, giving Hermione a moment. She drew a quick breath, picked up her mug again and hid her face behind it, drinking deeply. When she set it down, he picked up the insulated pot, offering her more. She nodded, her control regained. Daniel wondered what sort of insult she had been on the receiving end of to affect the confident young woman like this.

"Will you tell me what happened to Aunt Sarah now, please." She clearly wanted to change the subject.

Daniel pulled a pen out of his pocket, and began drawing on his napkin. "Do you recognise any of these?" He slid the tissuey paper across to her.

She studied it carefully, turning it to the left, then to the right. A smile brightened her eyes. "They're constellations, well at least some of them are. This one looks like a picto-graph, maybe a pyramid and the sun?." she stated.

"You are correct. These are used as reference points. By selecting seven symbols, you can establish the location of a specific planet, allowing you to travel there."

"Are you talking about space travel? In a spaceship? Because if you consider how truly vast the galaxy really is, they are not that practical when you just want to get from point A to point B."

"Space ships are useful up to a point but," Daniel nodded, picking up a croissant, "if you really wanted to explore other planets you either need a way to travel faster than the speed of light, or make use of some other phenomenon."

Hermione watched Daniel tear pieces off of the croissant, waiting.

"And in 1928, a team of archeologist working in Egypt discovered a device that was covered in these symbols."

Hermione's eyes were round, her hands resting quietly on the table. "What sort of 'device'?"

"We call it the Stargate. The ancient Egyptians wrote about it, referring to it as the 'astria porta.' when you translate from Coptic to Latin. Less than a decade ago we worked out how to activate it, using the constellations as points of reference, like the corners of this cube, and it opened a stable, artificial wormhole that led to another planet in our galaxy." Daniel paused, gauging Hermione's reaction.

"Okay, so you went to another planet. Did Aunt Sarah go too?"

"Eventually yes. But the important thing is that we discovered that there are people, human people, on hundreds, if not thousands of planets in the Milky Way galaxy. Which sounds really great, until you learn that they were taken from Earth as slaves, thousands of years ago, by an alien race known as the Goa'uld."

To this, Hermione visibly gulped. "Aunt Sarah really was kidnapped, but by ... aliens?" she asked in a small voice.

"Sarah was kidnapped, but not as herself. These Goa'uld are very small, like snakes. But they are cruelly intelligent, and have the ability to enter another being, attach themselves to the person's brainstem and integrate directly into their consciousness. Sarah was attacked and taken as a host by the Goa'uld Osiris, who possessed her until only a few months ago when we were finally able to restrain her and remove the parasite."

Hermione had no words, so she nodded for Daniel to continue. "Osiris was removed, but in the time Sarah was used as host, she was the helpless witness to the Goa'uld's actions. They consider humans to be a lesser species and style themselves as gods, using ancient technologies they scavenged from across the galaxy to instill fear and worship in the humans they control. Osiris did many horrible things that Sarah was unable to stop."

Daniel tore a croissant apart with his fingers. "When she was free, she went through a terrible time. Now, she just wants to forget I think."

"I can understand, I think." Hermione's eyes grew thoughtful. "This alien, the parasite, it did something to her mind. She is full of barriers, walls."

"The Goa'uld make an extreme effort to suppress their hosts' consciousness. I don't know what you do exactly, but I would guess those barriers have something to do with what the Goa'uld did to her mind."

"You said last night that you weren't authorised to tell me this. Will you get into trouble?"

"That depends on you. As long as you don't go around blabbing, it will be fine." He grinned her, trying to lighten the mood.

"No problem. I keep secrets everyday, remember?" Hermione gave him a cheeky grin.

"Does Sarah know about you?" Daniel asked.

"Ahhh, no. Strictly speaking, she isn't supposed to. Given what you've told me, she might actually be okay with it, but on the other hand it might just stress her out more. If any wizards found out, I'd get into trouble, and she'd get obliviated. Speaking of, if anyone tries to obliviate you, just say 'I'm a friend of Harry Potter;' They wouldn't dare after that."

"Harry, your ... special ops friend? I've never even met him. Why should it matter if I knew him or not?"

"Trust me," Hermione smirked, "It'll matter."

"He's a big deal to Wizards? I just assumed he was the same age as you and Ron."

"He's younger, actually. But during the war..." she trailed off. "He saved us. It's a long story, but suffice it to say there are very few wizards with as much influence as Harry."

"So tell me about wizards," Daniel asked. For the next hour she talked about her world, while Daniel answered her questions about his work with the Stargate program. They got along like close cousins, and somehow their strange conversation made a great deal of sense.

"Just one question more for now. Are you and Aunt Sarah together?"

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. "Not anymore," he answered truthfully.

"Does that mean you are hoping you can be again, or that you wished I hadn't asked?" she asked him shrewdly.

"The second, but it's not that I don't care about her," Daniel hurried to say. "We dated years ago, but things have changed. I just don't feel that way anymore."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Then I suggest you explain that to her, and soon. Because I think she's hoping, and if you break her heart by leading her on, so help me, I will hex you."

Daniel grinned in acknowledgment, and was about to reply when a man approached their booth. Tall, slightly gangly but tough looking with a striking scar across his cheek and a shark tooth dangling from one ear, he eyed Daniel with interest, then cocked his head to Hermione.

"Sooo, you're the witch who's been going all blabby, are you?"

Hermione smoothed her napkin and slowly raised her eyes to the man glaring down at her.

"And aren't you glad," she pursed her mouth. "Now Gringotts can harass him about Egyptian artifacts, and no one can accuse them of breaking the statue of secrecy."

Daniel stared at the red haired man. He looked slightly familiar. "Wait, Gringotts? You're a goblin?"

The man threw back his head at this and laughed. He slapped his chest in mirth then nudged Hermione over, sliding in beside her. "No mate, I'm Bill Weasley, and I'm a wizard. I just work for goblins."


End file.
